- Purchase a product from the Music Store sold by Amazon.co.uk and receive £1 to use on an album download in our MP3 Store. Here's how (terms and conditions apply)
Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Special Offers and Product Promotions
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Track Listings
| 1. The World |
| 2. The Seed-At-Zero |
| 3. Skull And Nettlework |
| 4. Holy Spring |
| 5. To God in God's Absence |
| 6. Lament of the Old Man |
| 7. In My Craft of Sullen Art |
| 8. Verses At Balwearie Tower |
| 9. Can y Gwyny |
| 10. By Weary Well |
| 11. The Bells of Rhymney |
| 12. On No Work of Words |
| 13. The Barley |
| 14. Hold Hand, These Ancient Minutes in the Cuckoo's Month |
| 15. Cold Day od February |
| 16. Poem on his Birthday |
| 17. For Mr Thomas |
Product Description
Album Description
The first ECM album by the founder of the Incredible String Band. 'The Seed-At-Zero' sets poetry by Dylan Thomas to music, examines Thomas's relationship to the "Bardic tradition" of visionary Welsh poets including Henry Vaughan, Llywarch Hen and Taliesen and, in revisiting some of Robin Williamson's strongest songs from a distinguished 40 year career, fixes the Scottish singer/songwriter's work firmly within that tradition. The writers featured are outstanding exponents of what Williamson likes to call "wrought language", taking almost a sculptural approach to the written and the spoken word.
Recorded 2000
Personnel:
Robin Williamson - (vocals, guitar, harp, mandolin)
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
15 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Master Matures,
By A Customer
This review is from: The Seed-At-Zero (Audio CD)
If you would prefer to hear Robin playing crazy String Band tunes then this album probably isn't for you. If however you are interesting in hearing what someone who was a genius at the age of 20 does when he is 50 then this is VERY interesting. Putting music to the words of Dylan Thomas and other great poets would be daunting enough for most, but to line them up against your own poetry is a testament to just how good Robin is. All the tunes are uniquely Williamson and his voice, whilst definitley showing the signs of age has merely altered, not diminished in its power, strength or variety and he remains an incredible performer. A highlight for me is his puely spoken rendition of Can Y Gwnt, the man has the greatest story-telling voice of all time. Unriddle me this, if you can....
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
By Toutatis!,
By Saucy Jack (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Seed-At-Zero (Audio CD)
What a fantastic find! Turned up in a charity shop in Cardiff and it's got the lot. If I was Vitalstatistix Robin would be my Cacophonix.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta) Amazon.com:
4.8 out of 5 stars (6 customer reviews) 10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
BEST MAN FOR THE JOB AT HAND...,
By Larry L. Looney - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Seed-At-Zero (Audio CD)
Those listeners already familiar with the breadth, scope and quality of Robin Williamson's work should not be surprised to se him take on such a seemingly monumental endeavor -- setting works of Dylan Thomas to music. I don't think there's another artist more suited to the task. Williamson's arrangements -- sparse, skeletal constructions utilising acoustic guitar, harp and mandolin to accompany his one-of-a-kind voice -- are simple and perfect, not once getting in the way of the words. And the words, after all, are the jewels in this showcase.Thomas has been admired and reviled, worshipped and derided, since he first unleashed his incredible literary vision on an unsuspecting world back in the 30s. Few before or since have had at their disposal his remarkable gift for turning the English language on its head, twisting it inside-out, yet, in the process, revealing its heart and soul, as well as that of the human condition and our world, in the process. Though the cd is touted as 'Dylan Thomas set to music', there are only five works here actually written by Thomas. However, Williamson's own pieces, as well as his choices of works from other sources, perfectly complement Thomas' own. The words roll off Robin's tongue magically, wrap themselves around the mind, burrow into it, and draw the listener inexorably into another world, from which nothing will ever look the same. Williamson's own 'Cold days of February' brings with it chilling new insights, absent in the old recording by his group The Incredible String Band, on their album 'Hard rope and silken twine'. It's a timeless piece, more relevant than ever. It's especially interesting to see the works of Thomas and Williamson side by side, as it were -- Robin's work is anything but derivative, but there are definite echoes there. His use of language, not only in the selectrions contained here, but in his entire body of work, is extraordinary. Not an album full of tunes you'll find yourself whistling at work, but one which will touch your soul, and to which, I predict, you will return again and again. Robin has already completed work on a second album for ECM, featuring the works of Whitman, Blake and Vaughan, entitled 'Skirting the river road', set for release in 2002. The Incredible String Band has also reformed, including fellow-founding members Mike Heron and Clive Palmer -- we can look forward to a renaissance of creativity in this new millenium.... 8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Robin Williamson - Genius Confirmed,
By S. GODFREY "Stuart" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Seed-At-Zero (Audio CD)
This is a work of quite astonishing intensity and of major importance to the worlds of poetry and music. Williamson's genius for delighting, amazing, and sometimes perplexing his audience is brought into breathtaking focus as he applies his interpretive talents to the already vivid and virile poetry of Dylan Thomas (and others). The arrangements are stark: the opening "The World" serves as un unflinching declaration of intent as, unaccompanied, he uncurls and carresses every vowel and syllable of this momentous work. Easy listening it definitely is not, but hair-raising and mind-boggling it certainly is. How does the man manage to sing like this? There is just no-one else performing at this level - Robin Williamson is truly in a class of his own. As the album unfolds Robin re-visits some of his own earlier works to good effect, playing to his vocal and intsrumental strengths with many a deft touch and a sure craftsman's eye for detail. Despite all the astonishing skill on display here, however, its most remarkable feature is the amount of pure "heart" which the artist has put into these songs. He is in his element here, giving everything. Buy this album and enrich your life!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Heed his craft and art,
By J. Carroll "Jack" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Seed-At-Zero (Audio CD)
Creating sparse settings for the poems of Dylan Thomas and others, Robin Williamson has fashioned a quiet, respectful, and meditative CD. Williamson's voice does not soar. Rather, it connects you to the earth; a solid low timber emanates and gives a good solid base for the poems selected. The music doesn't interfere with the words; it accompanies them in a cooperative manner, making the music work for the poetry unobtrusively. The fact that Williamson put his heart into this work can be easily heard. The only difficulty with this CD is the unbalanced nature of the compositions chosen; Thomas's work dominates, and the other pieces chosen from Welsh traditionals and Mr. Williamson's own work don't quite have the same beauty, although Williamson's "For Mr. Thomas" is a worthy effort.
|
|
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
![traditional folk music [1980-89]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51IrAVa8sML._AA60_.jpg)
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
